My Review of Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

Finally: a truly comfortable (and flattering) nursing bra! This seamless, butter-soft Bravado nursing bra molds to your body for a perfect fit, and the stretchy fabric grows and contracts to support your changing shape. The cups unclip with one hand and may be fully lowered when nursing, as recomme...

Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

THE BEST NURSING BRA! I own five!

By dazed81 from Illinois on 9/21/2009

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Nice Pattern, Good Size And Fit, Soft, Easy To Wash

Cons: Stains Easily

Best Uses: Newborn, Toddlers, Preemies, Nursing Moms, Infants

Describe Yourself: Breastfed two children, Parent of Two or More Children

I have five of these bras. I purchased them at a local bra specialty shop and was professionally measured as a 40G. because this bra is microfiber and adds LOTS of stretch, it was recommended and was the most comfortable bra I have ever tried, and I have tried A LOT of nursing bras, alot of different styles, brands, etc.
I was advised that it is not a good idea to wear the same bra two days in a row, because it is hard on the elastic and doesn't allow it time to regain it's shape. I purchased two and went back to buy three more because I loved it so much.

The ONLY downside that I see is that after a long day, the bottom band (which is Really nice and soft, but still wide) can be curled up a bit from all the weight.

These wash nicely. I use the handwash cycle on my washer and some unscented specialty lingerie soap. I hang them dry.

I love that these look so smooth and seamless and are very nice under all types of clothing. The only thing I can't wear them under is a lower cut blouse, or something with a really wide neck, because the straps and front of the bra may show.

I actually can release these straps with one hand, and re-hook them with one hand.

The bra has built in "pockets" and removable "padding" that can be used to help conceal nursing pads. I used these initially, but once my milk supply is regulated I don't need nursing pads anymore, and it was nice that I could just remove the bra's padding. Very nice quality.

Very pleased. I have had the same five bras for 6 months now with not a single issue.

(legalese)

Shiva is the only person I know with enough arms to apply diaper ointment to an 8 month old.

I am loving. Staying at home. I have so much that I could type here, but I still have several things to do before bed so I will make it short and sweet.

I have been hella busy. I have barely been online *gasp* and that's okay. Evan took pieces from his computer and put them into my computer, doubling the memory and adding another hard drive and a DVD Burner. We reformatted the machine and I am in the process of installing new software, the Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) and Microsoft Office 2007.

This past weekend we had alot going on. I don't know that I checked my email at all until briefly Sunday night. We were without power for 4 hours on Saturday, and I spent the time picking up the house and playing with Ardyn. I had the dryer going, the washing machine, the dishwasher, had JUST put the baby down for her nap and was going to sit down and pay bills online, and vacuum the house, when the power went out. That was a bummer. Saturday night Evan's band (Driftwood) had a gig and my sister and I went to watch. I was busy clear up until the moment I walked out the door that night and didn't get home till 2:30 in the morning Sunday, and then was up with the baby at 5:45 again, and at 7:30. Sunday I was pretty much zombie- and Evan worked in the yard (mowing, etc) and I did more laundry and washed diapers, cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher twice, made my grocery list for the week, picked up Ardyn's room, and then Ardyn and I took a late bath together. She stayed up until 10pm (stinker) so I was up until 1:30 am because I had so much to accomplish before today. I had cleaning people coming, and because we had already been so busy, and I brought home everything from my office, and unloaded everything from my car when we bought the van, AND had the computer tore apart and software and hardware strewn all over.... I really needed to clean up. I felt like if I could make it through this weekend with all the things I needed to have done by Monday, then I would survive.

Today I woke up and cleaned more (this place was really a wreck) and Ardyn and I got dressed and packed the van up for a grocery trip. We ate lunch and I did lots of preparing for errands, packages to mail, stops to make on the way to get groceries, etc. I needed to refill all my perfume at Good Scents and make an appointment for a haircut. I wanted to wash the van and open Ardyn's savings account at the bank. I needed to get the mail (software for the computer had arrived) and drop off a UPS package. Then we had to get groceries. And get home in time for making supper and seeing Evan before he went off to band practice. I also had to call the Dr.'s office and get a prescription for Ardyn (she got a yeast infection diaper rash right before leaving daycare, that miconazole wouldn't clear up, so we needed Nystatin) and then had to pick up the prescription.

So we made it to everywhere we needed to be today, and also had an oreo blizzard and got $216 worth of groceries. It made me sad, but I had to buy my second pack of disposable diapers this week, because the creams and treatments we are using on her would ruin her cloth diapers. I feel terribly guilty about that. I know that I can use lay in liners for the diapers but they always seem to "move" in there, and I also want to eliminate the possibility that the yeast could be growing in her diapers (which I proved that it isn't, I was pretty confident in my very strict and efficient washing routine, not to mention my soap and oxyboost) She wears disposables 4 times a day and overnight when I put the cream on, but wears her cloth diapers for the rest of the day. She also has been going naked as much as possible to help clear it up.... she was naked for 3 hours straight on Saturday.

My milk supply is way up now since I don't have to pump all day. When she goes to bed at night, I pump once before I sleep and I am getting more than twice what I was getting when I was working full time. Wonderful. Building up my freezer supply feels good, although I feel like I might never need it! It should help me out when it comes time to wean though.

I am also really enjoying NOT washing pump parts and bottles every night. What a pain in the ass! The dogs are thrilled because instead of being in the kennel all day long, they have been out laying in the sun in the yard. They are enjoying it thoroughly.

I was able to get some jeans out on the line last Friday, which was awesome. I am working on carrying Ardyn AND a laundry basket outside with me. It's not hard when the basket is empty. I put her in the carrier that Amy bought me, because she loves to face forwards and look around, and it's the only carrier I have (out of 5) that allows her to face out. then I sit her in the grass and she plays and watches and grazes (ha) while I hang things on the line. She has been especially grabby lately. She can get into anything within 3 feet of her body in like .3 seconds. Today when I was getting groceries, she was trying to unload the cart as fast as I was loading it. She threw (literally threw) a tub of hummus (my favorite red roasted pepper) onto the floor and it went like 5 feet from the cart and broke open all over the floor at the end of the aisle. I looked around for a salesperson to help me, and per usual, when you WANT one there aren't any (damn *Mart*) so I just ran like hell. Does that make me a bad parent? Probably. But after I waited 50 minutes for my daughter's prescription to be filled and then 10 more in line with 9 other people while she screamed and fussed and kicked at me.... just to finally pick it up.... and 20 more minutes in the checkout line and then put everything onto the conveyor one-handed while she whined in my ear.... I didn't give a rats ass about that hummus anymore.

She was hungry because she hadn't eaten since like 1pm and it was 4pm, and she had skipped her naps because she refused to sleep when I put her down for her regular nap, and although I have breastfed while walking the aisle of Wal-Mart before, I am not able to do it when I am alone because I can't feed her AND push the cart at the same time. Today (while changing a diaper, holding two kicking legs up with my left arm and two flailing hands out of her crotch with my left hand, holding the diaper down flat under her with the other arm while I used the right hand to squeeze out ointment onto my index finger AND apply it) I asked my husband what kind of cruel sense of humor God must have to give us moms only two arms. Honestly. Shiva has 8, and that bitch is wicked awesome. (I say bitch because I am referring to Shiva in the form of Ardhanarishvara, half man-half woman. And I don't mean bitch to be derogatory here. AND I should also clarify that Shiva can be depicted with anywhere from 2-8 arms, but usually at least 4. Wiki it if you are not sure what I am referring to.) Are 8 arms to much to ask? Octo-Mommy sounds pretty cool to me. I mean, wouldn't they go well with those eyes we get in the back of our heads?

So as I write this I have finished my night. I have put away all the groceries. Made Spaghetti and Garlic Bread with Cheese for supper. Fed the baby and myself and my husband. Rinsed the dinner dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Nursed my daughter and put her to bed. Helped my sister shop online for a doghouse for Arnie. Washed two more loads of clothes. Taken the tags off Ardyn's 4 new pair of summer shortie pajamas. AND checked my email and decided that I have time to either blog or respons to emails, but not both. I bought the remaining supplies to make Dotty the Owl... and hoped to do that tonight, but at this point in time, it's already 10pm and I still have to unload stuff from the bed, put away laundry, make my list for tomorrow, read the book on how to set the water softener, let the dogs out one more time, brush my teeth, take my medicine, and go to sleep. AND probably pump and switch the laundry one more time. So, Dotty will have to wait. Another day.

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring. I know that I am!

Retail Therapy

Well, shopping made me feel better. It always does. Retail Therapy. Even if it's just Wal-Mart I can find shit to buy. We needed toilet paper, and laundry detergent. I needed a tote.

Ardyn was still so fussy... that when I put her in her carseat she was SCREAMING at me no matter if I gave her a pacifier, rocked her, swung her seat around a bit.... nothing. I finally had to get like 1 inch from her face to talk to her because she couldn't even hear me through her screaming. I got her calmed down and then I defrosted 2, 2ounce bottles of breastmilk and fed them to her in the carseat. She was out in an instant. The fastest way to soothe her without taking her out of the carseat, swaddling her, and breastfeeding her. We were on the road by 9:15. spent about an hour in the mart. I bought new super soft pajamas and a new robe. The robe is fitting, but I think I would like it bigger. Must exchange it. I bought brown, tan, and cream socks. All of mine seem to be mismatched now, and even after cleaning the laundry room, I have about 25 tan socks, and only two of them match. Seriously, that is no exaggeration.

Every single time the shopping cart sat still, Ardyn was crying. Cart stops, pacifier goes flying out of her mouth, and screaming ensues. Don't stop to look at anything. I meant to try the robe on before I left the store, but I guess it makes sense that I forgot. I also got a cool thing for the laundry room that I can put each person's foldable laundry and underwear/socks in until I can match them. Or hey, how about husband can match his own socks? Yeah. That's a great idea! So I got to the checkout and had to exit with TWO carts because I had a giant tote that took up one entire cart and another stackable unit that took up another cart. I Was trying to push both carts (with the baby) and a friend Jen (HER husband Evan is friends with MY husband Evan, and she once sold Pampered Chef as one of my recruits) was shopping there and offered to escort me and help by pushing one cart. She did, thankfully, even though I told her no (why do I refuse help? What the fuck is wrong with me? Martyr much?) and then she put the tote and the other stuff IN my car while I got Ardyn snapped in, AND she took both carts back inside the store. Doesn't she deserve like a medal or something?

What I love more than anything is women and moms reaching out to help other women and moms. What I love is when you are shopping and you see another mom and she looks at you with a look of "I've been there!" and it's such a good feeling to know that she understands the exhaustion on your face, or the fact that you are changing a diaper in the backseat of your car, or breastfeeding in the middle of the mall, or trying to contain a tantrum, or anything mom related. I get so sick of moms who compete with everyone. My kid did this and this and this and has this and that and this. It isn't a competition! Everyone is proud of their child. That is natural. But at the same time, be proud of another person's kids. Be happy to help. OFFER to help and I guess sometimes, when I mom refuses or seems overwhelmed or too proud or feels guilty for accepting, insist on helping her. Please. I don't mean overstep your bounds and invade on her privacy, but please offer to help. Two or three times.

Today makes me want to read the book "it takes a village" and Honestly I never even gave a second thought to that phrase or anything in the past. It just made me laugh about all the people that I don't want influencing my kids. But moms have to stick together. And when I think about all the favors that I have done for other moms over the years, before I had kids or realized how much of a big freaking nice deal it was to have someone who gave a crap.... I realize that there are a lot of people out there who owe me. And I mean owe me BIG TIME. And when I also think about it, several of those people have disappeared out of my life. Mostly because we got too busy, sometimes because I get sick of giving giving giving all the time and not getting anything in return. A lot of those people were "users." And I don't do favors to get things in return, but getting respect in return is my number one goal. I think of friends who had kids in high school, and friends who had kids after high school, and I spent lots of my time with those kids. Babysitting for free. Buying BIRTHDAY presents and CHRISTMAS presents! Giving them rides to doctor appointments and family member's houses. Helping decorate for parties and dress up for Halloween. Taking them Trick-or-Treating. Taking them shopping. Taking them to movies. I bought their parents baby shower presents and bridal shower presents and wedding gifts. And those people have taken advantage of me and disappeared. I never saw a shower or wedding gift from them, not even a card. And here I sit with a 2 month old and I can literally count on one hand the people who would do anything for me in return. And two of those people live in Alaska and Chicago respectively. Isn't that crazy? I guess this makes me realize that while it takes a village, I still need to start looking out for my own family. And how lucky I am that some of those people aren't in my life anymore. Because I don't need things from people who aren't truly my friends. I don't need the hassle... and I don't need to be used.

Saline Spray for Everyone!

We. Are Sick. Ardyn and I. Headcolds. Eeww. Snot. Stuffy Noses. Raw throats. Chapped Lips. Dry Nostrils. Headaches. Sleepiness.

I had been noticing a bit of stuffiness or runny-nose-edness since about Wednesday, but as a mom, I really didn't notice. I was too busy taking care of business around home and with Ardyn. I first actually noticed it when I was watching the video clip that I took of Ardyn's room, and I was sniffing on the video. I was like... Hmmm. Sounds like I am coming down with something... and as I stopped to think about it, I realized that I was. Had Been. Never Noticed. But Ardyn had been doing some serious sleeping the past two days and nights. Never acted like she wasn't feeling well. But sleepy. She had a few coughing episodes that sounded pretty scary, but it was like she was clearing her throat of a tickle or something.

Last night, okay, this morning at 4am, she woke up (an hour after I had gone to sleep) and was having a hard time breathing, sounded stuffy, etc. Of course then I couldn't sleep because not only was I worried about her, but I also sounded stuffy and was having a hard time breathing. So we got up, and I was worried that she wouldn't be able to breathe in her sleep and I would have to stay awake for another 20 hours, making it a 40 hour run... to make sure she was breathing. Well, luckily, while pregnant, I took the advice of two parenting magazines and stocked up early on infant and child medicine... and in my trusty Apothecary Jar I found a virtual cocktail of medicines... like Baby Vicks, Little Noses Saline Drops, and Infant Tylenol and Motrin. Well, Baby Vicks is only good for babies 3 months and older. Scratch that. Tylenol and Motrin... well she had no fever (thanks to the temporal thermometer I bought when she was 5 days old and had an eye infection) and of course the box said under 2 years only under the advice of a physician... So tell me again why they call it INFANT Tylenol? Argh. But Saline Drops... Those were the ticket. Then I sent poor Evan on a 5am bleary trip through unpacked hospital goody bags to find the blue bulb aspirator. I had never done this before, and had actually thought like 4 times in the past month that I should ask someone or google it, in case I needed it in just this type of situation. But I had taken Saline Nasal Spray myself during pregnancy for crazy ass congestion... and I still had mine... so I started us both on a saline nasal regime. I decided with common sense to give her the saline drops, then use the aspirator, and I did this before feedings and when she sounded stuffy and uncomfortable. I also plugged in the Vicks Waterless Vaporizer that my midwife recommended I buy during pregnancy for congestion, and turned our bedroom into a soothing vapor chamber. The two of us make quite the pair, what me with my toilet paper roll and Ardyn with her cloth diaper burp/snot rag combo.

This morning I called the Dr. to make sure that I was doing the right thing, and to ask what I should watch for that warranted a Dr. visit for Ardyn. Seems like I was already on the right path what with just my instincts to guide me. And then this evening I remembered that I have the AAP Childcare Guide and I got that out and read about headcolds and found that I was so right on target. It was great. So we have been watching her temperature, she did have a very slight one this evening at about 99.5 but besides that one hour or so, she has remained in the 98 degree range. Today she and I wore our pajamas and lay around. I drank fluids and she nursed as often as she could get a hold of a nipple. We got into a regime of Saline Drops. Evan went to Wal-Mart and came back with REAL Kleenex with Lotion, more Newborn Diapers (tiny thing!), Chicken Soup, and Gatorade. He thought it was so cute that I have this basket that I carry around all of our necessities from room to room, depending on if we are in her rocking chair, in our bed, or in the living room on the couch. He calls it "Mom's Nurse Kit" and tells Ardyn that she has the best mommy ever. I just keep washing my hands and blowing my nose and washing my hands and blowing my nose. Chapstick. Purell. Gatorade. Saline. Repeat.

That said, let's talk about Yesterday. Pre-sickness. Evan, Ardyn, and I went on an outing. We got dressed and went to the hospital to pick up my newest prescription- Birth Control Pills! Yes, welcome to the mini-pill. Evan is especially thrilled that it has a higher chance of failure than my previous pills, if not taken at the same time each day. He's hoping that I will slip up and forget one so that he can make another baby ASAP.

After picking up the prescription, we had a nice lunch at Quizno's, since it's new to Princeton. Then we went to the Corner Coffee Shop that's new in the same building. They had some really neat journals like I have used for years, and a "Questions I have Been Meaning to Ask Mom" book, but nothing had prices on it. Strange. I wasn't about to ask them the price of everything I picked up. Hopefully they will get that together. They also had ice cream and coffee, tea, etc... which I plan to return to try later.

We then drove out to City/County Park and took some photos in the leaves with Ardyn (check them all out on Flickr) and then she had a big meal in the car. We then went to the Sherwood Antique mall and walked around until I was so exhausted I wanted to go to bed. On the way home we stopped at Browning and looked at the New '08 Dodge Grand Caravan. Which I love. And I can. Drive a Van. I have a brochure that I sit and ogle now. I want a brilliant black pearl clearcoat van. I love the New Stow and Go Swivel Seats. Awesome.

The options on this thing are amazing, with built in retractable window shades, Dual TV Screens that get Sirius TV (on the go Nickelodeon and Disney Channel), ACTUAL power outlets, TONS of cupholders and mesh pockets, a rechargeable docking flashlight, a Center Table that stows in the back when not in use, a drop down mirror to view passengers from the driver's seat, all power open sliding side doors and back hatch, side roll-down windows... It's crazy nice. There is a center console that slides from the front to between the first two captain chairs, so anyone can use it as a table, storage area, or cupholders. And beneath it is a charging station for anything with a car adapter. Cell Phones, etc. MP3 Player integration in there is just SCREAMING for my iPod. Interior Reading Lights and Blue Interior Running Lights (which I would have called Sex lights in High School. Who says we can't have crazy sex in the van I guess. Someday. Riiight.) Dual Glove Boxes. Optional GPS Navigation Screen System that also doubles as a THIRD TV/DVD Screen. Multi-Climate Control. Split Folding Third Row Seat. Someday.

So after we got home last night I was exhausted and went right into my pajamas and parked on the couch with Ardyn for a nightlong nursing and TV Marathon. We watched Grey's Anatomy, Dirty Sexy Money, and a few other things from the TIVO. Tonight my mom came over and we uploaded photos to Wal-Mart to place an order for her, and looked up things like Pre-Lit Hinged Christmas Trees and Diabetes Physicians on the internet. We ordered some Rust Raze. She held Ardyn while I ate supper (Bacon Cheeseburger, Fried Mushrooms, and Fried Pickles from 6&34) and while I took a shower. Ardyn went to sleep and has been awake three times in the past 40 minutes, and now she is "awake awake" for what appears to be a while... so maybe more tomorrow. Have a nice night!

Meredith Viera is such a dumbass.

Check out Izzy's post about the Today show and their recent segment on mother's who have an alcoholic beverage in the presence of their children. I agree with Izzy's call of bullshit. And I can't say it any better, so suffice it to say that you should read Izzy's post.